We emerged from our time with Rich with a shared understanding of strategic vision, a desire to engage in necessary allocation conversations, a clearer understanding of our position within our competitive set, and a set of tools that will serve as living strategy documents. Rich is not only an extremely competent thought leader regarding business strategy, but is also an amazing facilitator and presenter.

David Hammond, President, Wonderlic

COUNTRY Financial recently engaged Rich Horwath to lead its strategic review and planning session. We were not disappointed. Rich brought high energy and excellent methodology to this process. His deep understanding of strategic thinking, combined with his strong facilitation skills, lead to lively discussion and allowed us to reach consensus on clear direction and prioritization for our coming year.

John Blackburn, CEO, COUNTRY Financial

Your work had a dramatically positive impact on our business. In addition to the strong strategic plan we developed, you infused a new mind set into our organization that has created the strategic discipline to make important trade-offs and has unleashed a powerful energy of confidence. You've truly made a difference to our business.

Don Pogorzelski, President, Genzyme Diagnostics

Thank you for facilitating an outstanding strategic thinking session with our top CEO customers within our industry. The CEO's believe that the program provided them with tools that will allow them to be more effective strategists. In addition, we received a lot of praise about your knowledge in the field of strategic thinking and your ability to deliver the information at the right level.

Dean Gregory, President, Medical Devices, Fresenius Kabi

Rich helped us utilize a common set of tools and a common language to develop a consistent strategic understanding throughout our organization. We now have a repeatable process to capture key business insights, ensure strategic alignment, develop the company's leaders of tomorrow, and most importantly, profitably grow our business. Rich did an outstanding job working with our strategic team.

Tim O'Connor, Controller, Bangor Hydro Electric

Rich's skill in facilitation and leading teams is key in delivering his concepts on strategic thinking. He encourages his clients to build the strategic process themselves, draw their own conclusions consistent with their business and follows up to make sure they are 'living the process.' I would recommend Rich to leaders who want to build strategy and want value for their investment.

Norman Tashash, VP of Sales & Marketing, Genzyme Diagnostics

I wanted to thank you for an incredible experience at the Wyndham strategy meeting. Your expert facilitation shone and was a major part in ensuring we stayed on time, focused and most important, productive! The feedback we've received on the meeting is very positive regarding your skilled facilitation and relevant content. The tools you provided were practical, useful and will ensure we stay focused on incorporating strategic thinking as part of everyday life and not relegated to an event.

Lisa Calicchio, EVP, Human Resources, Wyndham Hotels

Strategy Facilitation

Develop a Strategic Plan for Competitive Advantage

Rich Horwath on Strategy Facilitation

Your Challenges:

“We don’t have a simple and practical process for developing strategy.”
“Our strategic plan is nothing more than a to-do list with a bunch of tactics.”
“We don’t have competitive advantage and risk becoming a commodity.”

Rich’s Solutions:

1. A proven five-phase strategy development process that stimulates new thinking, teaches managers the key strategy concepts and tools and leads to a useable strategic plan.

2. Transform strategy from a once-a-year event that produces the never-used strategic plan in a binder gathering dust to a continually evolving, real-time strategy blueprint that guides people’s daily activities.

Rich Horwath blends his practical experience as CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute and a former Chief Strategy Officer with his expertise as a New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author and professor of strategy to provide managers with a proven five phase process for transforming strategic thinking into a solid strategic plan built on true insights.

The Five-Phase Strategy Process

Designate the team

Select the process

Collect intelligence on market, customers, competitors and the company